Zachary Schermele – USA TODAY – in the D&C on 12/21/23
High school exit exams are dissipating in states from coast to coast, to the praise of some and dismay of others.
Earlier this month, an advisory panel in New York recommended making the state’s century-old Regents exams optional instead of a graduation requirement. The dramatic change for New Yorkers comes as the dwindling number of states that still require exit exams has become even smaller in
months and years.
In October, state officials in Oregon extended a pause through 2028. Lawmakers in New Jersey and Florida also made or are considering measures this year to jettison or water down the tests in their states. And next November, a ballot measure to scrap exit exams in Massachusetts will be put to voters.
The pattern caps off a yearslong trend that has only accelerated since the pandemic forced many schools to reevaluate their relationships with highstakes testing. It represents another controversial ripple effect of the pandemic on the lives of American students, specifically on standardized exams, which have long been criticized for being disproportionately beneficial to more affluent, white families.